Willy Bickertons blade. A cant term of somewhat dubious signification.  if not, and that I proue too weake for him in sophistrie, I meane to borrowe Wili Bickertons blade, of as good a temper as Morglay . A Notable Discovery of Cosenage, 1591, Preface.

Wiltshire moonrakers. The expression of Hampshire and Wiltshire moonrakers had its origin in the Wiltshire peasants fishing up the contraband goods at night brought through the [New] Forest and hid in the various ponds.Wises New Forest, 1867, p. 170. Compare the History of Sign-Boards, 1867, p. 463.

Winkabank is a wood upon a hill near Sheffield, where there are some remainders of on old camp. Temple-brough stands between the Rother and the Don, about a quarter of a mile from the place where these two rivers meet. It is a square plat of ground, encompassed by two trenches. Selden often inquired for the ruins of a temple of the god Thor, which he said was near Rotherham. This probably might be it, if we allow the name for any argument: besides, there is a pool not far from it called Jordon-dam, which name seems to be compounded of Jor, one of the names of the god Thor, and Don, the name of the river.R.

Wink at small faults. One of the earliest originators, if not authors, of a proverb, was Cipius the Roman, who winked at a very great fault, in pretending to be asleep while his wife received her admirer. The saying ascribed to him was, Non omnibus dormio, by way, as it were, of self-vindication.

With a wanion.Towneley Mysteries, 109; Harmans Caveat, 1567. Was not this a good prelate? he should haue bene at home preachynge in hys Dioces in a wanion.Latimers Sermons, 1549, repr. Arber, p. 63.

With a wet finger, i.e., without any trouble. HE.* Bishop Pilkingtons Burning of Paules Church, 1561.

Lentulo. No, sir? what will you lay, and I can finde

One with a wet finger that is starke blinde?

Rare Triumphes of Love and Fortune, 1589, edit. 1851, p. 107.Porter. If I may trust a woman, sir, she will come.Fustigo. Theres for thy pain (gives money): God a mercy, if ever I stand in need of a Wench that will come with a wet finger, porter, thou shalt earn my money before any clarissimo in Milan.The Honest Whore, by Decker and Middleton, 1604 (Middletons Works, 1840, iii. 10). See also v. 1 (ibid. 97). It also occurs in Days Ile of Gvls, 1606, repr. 107, in Dekkers Strange Horse Race, 1613, sign. D 3, and elsewhere. My American correspondent, however, says:I think Heywood errs in rendering this without any trouble. The wet finger of intrigue is an old phrase, apparently derived from a practice of writing on the table with a wine-wet finger.

With butlers grace.i.e., with very little grace at all. The respect which the wantonest and vainest heads haue of them, is as of fiddlers, who are regarded but for a baudy song, at a merry meeting, and when they haue done, are commonly sent away with Butlers grace.Meltons Sixe-Folde Politician, 1609, sign. D.

Within the danger of any one. Into any ones hands or power. I was as ware as I could bee, not to vtter anything for mine owne harme, for feare I should come in their daunger.Wilsons Arte of Rhetorique, edit. 1584, sign. A v. So, in the Paston Letters, ed. Gairdner, iii. 179, speaking of a man who had left his home in debt, John Paston writes to his father, 9th March, 1477: he departyd with ought lycence of hys mastyr, Sir Thomas Brewse, and is fere endangered to dyvers in thys contrey. The phrase occurs again in a letter from Henry Windsor to John Paston, assigned to 1458.

Without book. At random. So Gascoigne, in the Epistle to the Yong Gentlemen before his Posies, 1575, says: There are also certaine others who thinke it sufficient if (parrot like) they can rehearse things without booke. See also the Works, ii. 3.

Wolves lose their teeth, but not their memory. This is curiously illustrated by the story in the Philosophers Banquet, 1614, which I printed in Faiths and Folklore, 1905at least as regards the memory of wolves.

Women are saints in the church, angels in the street, devils in the kitchen, and apes in bed. Middletons Blurt, Master Constable, 1602 (Works, 1840, i. 280). This saying is rather elaborately illustrated in Jacques Oliviers work called LAlphabet de l Imperfection des Femmes, first published about 1617.

Worth a plum. It is said of a man who is accredited with large means that he is worth a plum. Tiene pluma. Span. The Spanish word pluma means wealth or a feather. Perhaps we get from the same language the phrase, To feather ones nest.

Wotton under Weaver, / where God came never. C. Leighs England Described, 1659, p. 179. Wotton under Weaverhill (Staff.) is so much out of the sunshine that this rhime is common with the neighbours.Englands Gazetteer, 1751.

Wraysbury. It is a local saying connected with this place, in Buckinghamshire near Staines, when all is well, From Wraysburywhere do you think? in reply to an inquiry; but when the place is in floods, the form is: From WraysburyGod help me! This is common to other places.

Yeker that cant scheme must louster. S. Devon and Corn. Mr. Shelly observes: He that cannot direct, must labour with his hands. Mr. Wedgwood thinks Yeker may be thikky there; I know no other instance of the use of the word. Probably Younker.

You are a man of Duresley. Gloucestershire. This is taken for one that breaks his word and fails in performance of his promise; parallel to Fides Græca or Punica. Duresley is a market and clothing town in this county, the inhabitants whereof will endeavour to confute and disprove this proverb, to make it false now, whatsoever it was at the first original thereof.R.

You are all for the Hoistings. Or, hustings. It is spoken of those, who, by pride or passion, are elated or mounted to a pitch above the due proportion of their birth, quality, or estate. It cometh from Hustings, the principal and highest court in London (as also in Winchester, Lincoln, York, &c.); so called from the [A.S. hus, a house, and thing, a plea or causethe Court of Pleas.]R.

You cannot tell: you are naught to keep sheep.Clare. Troth, sir I cannot tell.Sear. And if you cannot tell, beauty, I take the adage for my reply: you are naught to keep sheep.Wilkins, Miseries of Enforced Marriage, 1607 (Hazlitts Dodsley, ix. 477).